More than half of consumers plan to shop in-store for Father's Day gifts
Experiences and subscriptions are playing a key role in consumers’ Father’s Day gifting strategies – but in-store shopping is still important.
A majority (70%) of consumers agree fathers prefer experiences and quality time over traditional gifts, and 51% plan to purchase experiences as part of their Father’s Day celebrations, according to new data from PwC.
Almost half (45%) of consumers plan to purchase at least one subscription gift for Father’s Day, signaling that recurring gifts are becoming part of mainstream holiday spending.The most popular subscription categories are food and beverage (22%), video streaming (16%) and gaming (16%).
[READ MORE: Survey: Gift card purchasing continues to rise]
Despite this, 72% of consumers plan to give physical gifts like clothing and shoes, spending $93 on average. More than half (54%) of consumers plan to shop in-store while 45% plan to shop online. Gen X leads in-store shopping (60%), while Gen Z is the generation most likely to shop for Father’s Day gifts through social media (36%).
Food is also a key part of the Father’s Day celebrations, with nearly seven-in-10 (69%) consumers planning to spend on dining out or special meals for the holiday, averaging $60.
Consumers plan to spend an average of $93 on physical gifts and $46 on experiences for Father’s Day, according to PwC, compared to $124 and $141 on average for Mother’s Day physical gifts and experiences, respectively.
Additional insights from the PwC survey include the following:
- Just 56% plan to celebrate Father’s Day this year, compared to 71% who planned to celebrate Mother’s Day.
- 28% plan to self-gift for Father’s Day, compared to 23% of people who planned to do so for Mother’s Day.
- 18% of consumers use AI tools for Father’s Day gift research, including 27% of Gen Z and 28% of millennials.
- Friends and family (36%) remain the top source of gift inspiration, followed by physical stores (35%), mass retailers (32%) and social media (27%).
“Father’s Day 2026 reflects an evolving holiday,” noted PwC. “While consumers spend less around Father’s Day than Mother’s Day, younger generations are reshaping the holiday through increased spending, subscriptions, and digitally influenced shopping behaviors. For retailers and brands, the opportunity lies in meeting consumers where Father’s Day is heading: more experience-driven, more personalized, and increasingly tied to recurring, digital forms of consumption.”
